becomes, can bashar al-assad handle fighting from in his country the rebels as well as outside of his country from turkey? that could be enough to crush the regime? >>guest: there is is no doubt bashar al-assad wants to keep turkey out of this. that is why we see not just syria apologizing but the russians who are the main diplomatic protector coming in and trying to contain this situation. what you see from the west, also, frankly, is a desire to contain the actual spillover here, the fighting here, and move this into the united nations security council to try to take advantage of this, to spur action in the council. >>trace: you use the word "contain" and that brings the next question. are you concerned this could become a regional war and spread in what really is a very unsettled part of world? >>guest: well, it is already more regionalized than people realize. you have this strike in turkey. it is not the first strike in turkey. we have seen strikes in lebanon. there have been a flow of refugees? jordan and turkey. we have iranian forces and ed in the fighting. as time goes on we

it. these fighters are from libya, and iraq who are seasoned jihaddists. if bashar al-assad leaves you have a continuing civil war between the local rebels who want democracy and the jihaddists who want an islamist state. bill: leland vittert live. martha: $716 billion question. governor romney's campaign has said repeatedly that the president plans to cut $716 billion from medicare. >> medicare for current retirees, he's cutting $716 billion from the program. now he says by not over paying hospitals and proceed sraoeursd, actuallproviders. going to hem them and saying we're going to reduce the rates across the board. that is not cutting the rates where there is abuse that's just cutting the rates. >> the obama campaign claims that is not through. jim angle is live from washington to help us court it all out. >> reporter: as you showed, martha, governor romney insists the president cut 716 billion from medicare while the president argues he saved 716 billion east said during the debate. >> $716 billion we were able to save from the medicare program by no longer over paying insuranc